Low Power FM (LPFM)

In addition to the issues at the intersection of music, technology, policy and law, FMC knows a little something about jet lag. The last month has seen staff attending panels, conferences and presentations near and far, exchanging ideas and opinions about the future of music. And the roadshow is set to continue through April, with our series of educational seminars for New York State musicians. Not that we’re complaining. We love getting out there and mingling with the artists that create the music we enjoy every day. Here’s a rundown of where we’ve been and where we’re heading.

OK Go return to Capitol Hill

“What’s the Future for Musicians?” educational seminars in New York State

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Ah, election season. When we at FMC aren’t checking returns, we somehow find the time to address those pressing issues at the intersection of music, technology, law and policy. February has been a hectic and exciting month for us, what with the arrival of our sparkling new Executive Director, Ann Chaitovitz. Most of us on staff already know her pretty well, but we wanted to give her a chance to say hi to all of you, too.

Hello from Executive Director Ann Chaitovitz!

OK Go and Bonerama release EP, play shows for New Orleans musicians

FMC’s Brian Zisk presents the SanFran MusicTech conference

FMC at Arts Presenters: wrap-up

Policy Update - LPFM

Full-Power Licensing Blog Series

Updated Fact Sheets for 2008

Educational materials & survey for New York State musicians

Education Director Kristin Thomson at McGill University in Montreal

Local Media, Democracy & Justice Summit in Pasadena, CA

How Are We Doing

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Who wants to run a noncommercial FM radio station? It’s easy to find outâ€”all of the applications filed with the Federal Communications Commission last fall can be viewed online. But you don’t have to delve deep into the database to get a general idea. Just browsing a list of the organizations by name suggests some dominant interests. read more

This post is the first in a series about last October’s full-power, non-commercial licensing window opened by the FCC. Mike Janssen, project manager for FMC’s Full Power Initiative, will provide an up-close look at several applicants, while examining what this process could mean for listeners. read more

The latest issue of Wired has a short, one-page article called “Why Things Suck: Radio.” We’re guessing it’s a part of a series, but we can’t remember having ever seen it before. We’re probably too fixated on their “What’s Inside” column, where you can find out about all the bizarre stuff in everyday consumer products.

But let’s get back to radio and suckiness. The piece does a fair job of itemizing the reasons the commercial dial is often devoid of actual entertainment. Public (airwaves) Enemy Number One? Profit-hungry conglomerates like Clear Channel: read more

The FCC announced Friday that it has extended the filing window for noncommercialFM radio applications that opened Oct. 12 (PDF of Public Notice). The window was slated to close Friday, but after encountering some database problems, the commission said it will accept applications until 2 p.m. Eastern time, Monday, Oct. 22.

Yesterday, the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing on the Future of Radio. This hearing was set up to address a range of issues — LPFM, ownership, royalties, public radio, etc — but after a New York Times article last week disclosed that FCC’s Chairman Kevin Martin was considering a fast track effort to loosening media ownership rules even further, the Senators also used this time to send a message to the FCC, reminding the commission that a bi-partisan majority had objected to the efforts to deregulate media in 2003, and the Senate was ready to do so again. read more

Apple Supersizes iPod Capacities, Labels Unenthusiastic
Apple now offers its popular iPod with 80GB and 160GB capacities. However, labels worry that those who do fill their 160GB devices to capacity will be filling it with pirated video and audio rather than purchased content.
by Paul Reskinoff, DigitalMusicNews, September 5, 2007read more

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p>Washington, D.C.— Bipartisan legislation was introduced today in both the House and Senate that would bring hundreds of local, Low Power FM (LPFM) radio stations to cities and suburbs across the country. On a national press call today, the Indigo Girls joined religious groups, community radio broadcasters and public interest advocates in support of the "Local Community Radio Act of 2007.